Personally, I think Ed Davis has great defensive instincts and would be a better alternative to anyone mentioned so far. He lacks a bit of size to play C, but he's long and will put on weight as he grows. He also has shown better offense than guys like Deandre Jordan, Nazr Mohammad, Chandler. Trial by fire is the best way to get him to improve and I think he and Amir are scrappy enough to anchor the D. Would rather see the draft pick used on a PG or SF.

The only person I'd throw money at in regards to a potential centre is Nene (that is, if he opts out). I'd attempt to trade Bargnani for perhaps long term bench depth and I'd draft Vesely if we got a pick that wasn't the first selection. A starting 5 next season of Nene, Davis, Vesely, DeRozan and Calderon/Bayless would be exciting - and would be a lot of length for oppositions to deal with.

Why is there a desperate need to find a replacement right away? The team's not going to contend anytime soon. Between Amir and Davis and maybe a half decent veteran, they can hold fort until something better comes along. Oklahoma did fine with Krstic as a placeholder until they were able to acquire Kendrick Perkins. Everybody seems to want to settle the positions now. You're not going to find three long term solutions for the PG, SF and C position this summer. What you need to do is keeping moving the team in the right direction and build piece by piece. If a good center is available then grab him, whether it be through the draft (Kanter, Jonas or even Biyombo, maybe), a trade or free agency. But don't invest in someone who isn't exactly what you need simply to plug a hole.

gotta agree with Tim on this one.. it's not like there's a massive pool of available legit centers out there

plus you dont want to see filling that position rushed and end up a disaster like eddy curry.

Or panic drafting...

gotta agree with Tim on this one.. it's not like there's a massive pool of available legit centers out there

plus you dont want to see filling that position rushed and end up a disaster like eddy curry.

Like Babcock with Hoffa. Oh man, we need a center, quick, grab the first center!

“The saving of our world from pending doom will come, not through the complacent adjustment of the conforming majority, but through the creative maladjustment of a nonconforming minority.” - Martin Luther King

I think the idea is to bring as much of the core together as early as possible and et them get used to playing together. Than in a few years we can see what we still need to fill spots. It is not necessary to find these guys, but it wold be nice. Also, what else should we talk about?

It's a nice idea, but what it ends up meaning is that you settle for players that are less than ideal. And that's how Turkoglu came to be a Raptor. Need I say more?

Any player who is going to be 30 or older next year should be taken off the list - bye Chandler, bye Dalembert, bye Nazr.

I would be looking in to Al Jefferson in Utah. He is only 26, is one of the best low post scorers in the league, only has 2 years left on his contract, would allow the Raps to draft a C like Kanter or Valanciunas and let them develop plus he'll give you 10rebs/2blks a night to go along with 20 points. If Utah were looking to trade him because of his salary and where they are in relation to the salary cap, I'd be all over it.

You seem to have a fascination with Jefferson. Not sure why at all. DO you really want to put up with 2 years of me blasting his defense?

I think Marc is restricted free agent. It will take more than 12 million a year to get him away from Memphis. Is he really worth 13-14 million a year !!

Same goes for DeAndre Jordan (preferable IMO).
What is so special about DeAndre Jordan !!! Look at his numbers here and tell me if you really want to give this guy a long term contract and consider him your future center !!http://www.nba.com/playerfile/deandre_jordan/index.html

Greg Oden is a restricted free agent , he's mighty risky but if he can come in and stay healthy he's got franchise Center written all over him.

I fully agree with that and I think he is worth the risk.

And if we get really desperate, Sam Dalembert is a free agent,
Again, Look at my comment for Deandre !! Dalmebert has toxic attitude and he was not even able to pull his weight in a bad team like kings. Why invest in him ? He is not the answer.

along with Tyson Chandler.
Cuban will lock him out. No way, No Chance.

At the end, there are not much options out there. Your best available center is DeAndre and I am not even sure how good he really is.

Araujo wasn't a Babock pick - it was a Jack McCloskey pick - he thought that the toughness that Araujo brought would appeal to the casual fan and turn hockey-mad fans into basketball fans.

I don't buy the argument that it wasn't Babcock's pick. Maybe McCloskey recommended him, but Babcock wasn't coming into the GM position blind. He would have scouted Araujo while with the T-Wolves enough to make an informed decision. ENough of an informed decision to know that he should have drafted Iguodala.

On a side note, for all those who said that Colangelo drafting Davis was a no-brainer because he fell, what does that say about Babcock passing on Iguodala after he fell?

Araujo wasn't a Babock pick - it was a Jack McCloskey pick - he thought that the toughness that Araujo brought would appeal to the casual fan and turn hockey-mad fans into basketball fans.

I don't buy the argument that it wasn't Babcock's pick. Maybe McCloskey recommended him, but Babcock wasn't coming into the GM position blind. He would have scouted Araujo while with the T-Wolves enough to make an informed decision. ENough of an informed decision to know that he should have drafted Iguodala.

On a side note, for all those who said that Colangelo drafting Davis was a no-brainer because he fell, what does that say about Babcock passing on Iguodala after he fell?

Tim:
Why is there a desperate need to find a replacement right away? The team's not going to contend anytime soon. Between Amir and Davis and maybe a half decent veteran, they can hold fort until something better comes along. Oklahoma did fine with Krstic as a placeholder until they were able to acquire Kendrick Perkins. Everybody seems to want to settle the positions now. You're not going to find three long term solutions for the PG, SF and C position this summer. What you need to do is keeping moving the team in the right direction and build piece by piece. If a good center is available then grab him, whether it be through the draft (Kanter, Jonas or even Biyombo, maybe), a trade or free agency. But don't invest in someone who isn't exactly what you need simply to plug a hole.

Undersized Amir and Ed can not hold the front line and by the way, what is meant to hold the front line ?? Is it the same as this year ?

I don't want to excuses from this guy. The gang took the easy road out this time, blame everything, all defensive vows, 22 win record and ... on the lack of real center and AB. So lets give them what they want and see if they can pull their weight.

I love the fact that you have no answer for the problem and just want to postponed it. The reality is right in your face. The real center, the big beefy kind that you need to put beside skinny Amir do not come in every year in this league.

You don't get a center for these guys and the same BS excuses on the defensive end will be heard next year.

I don't buy the argument that it wasn't Babcock's pick. Maybe McCloskey recommended him, but Babcock wasn't coming into the GM position blind. He would have scouted Araujo while with the T-Wolves enough to make an informed decision. ENough of an informed decision to know that he should have drafted Iguodala.

On a side note, for all those who said that Colangelo drafting Davis was a no-brainer because he fell, what does that say about Babcock passing on Iguodala after he fell?

I buy it. Babcock was hired a week-week and a half before the draft? This is why I think the existing brass made the pick. I don't think he was blind, but I don't think he was the kind of guy wanting to rock the boat and he was going to go along with the consensus. Babcock in the end favoured Luke Jackson (he was kinda high on Jameer Nelson as well), so in the end, whether we ended up with Araujo or Jackson, it would have been a bad selection.

[COLOR="Red"]Greg Oden is a restricted free agent , he's mighty risky but if he can come in and stay healthy he's got franchise Center written all over him.

I fully agree with that and I think he is worth the risk.

I don't get the fascination with Oden. The guy has serious knee problems. He's not going to find that he's suddenly not injury prone once he comes north of the border. It would be a real waste of money to pursue him.

I don't get the fascination with Oden. The guy has serious knee problems. He's not going to find that he's suddenly not injury prone once he comes north of the border. It would be a real waste of money to pursue him.

Very risky. His talent is, I think, what gets a lot of people salivating, but it does nothing for you if it is for a quarter of the season at best.

Under no circumstance should the Raps even consider Dalembert, even as a temporary fix. This is the same guy that the Canadian Natl Team basically told to go home. He's toxic, period.

Chandler will want to get paid, and I can't see him wanting anything to do with a re-build.

Gasol could work, if for no other reason than him being an international. Which, for all intensive purposes, is usually enough to sway BCo. Money be damned.

DeAndre Jordan is someone we need to consider. All the tools are there. Incredibly athletic for his size. But if you ever watch him live, you get the feeling that he's consistently lost within the game. Doesn't have the feel. Which of course is an issue. But given where we stand, why not give it a shot? Could just be a matter of time.

You seem to have a fascination with Jefferson. Not sure why at all. DO you really want to put up with 2 years of me blasting his defense?

Because of all the options mentioned, he is the only one I consider realistic. Chandler is injury prone and getting old. Jordan will be resigned and just about any offer matched. Gasol will be resigned and any offer matched. Nazr too old. I keep mentioning Jefferson because he would be an upgrade over Bargnani at the C in rebounding and defense (that is how bad Bargnani is) and he offers the same amount of scoring and in a more efficient manner. The fact Utah is not close to competing, they are a small market combined with Jefferson's contract could make him available (speculation on my part with some Utah newspaper rumblings - still speculation though). His defense was awful last year and seems to be improved this year probably due to his ACL continuing to heal. Drafting Valanciunas with Jefferson on board allows Jonas to stay in Europe and still develop in case of a lockout, stay in Europe and develop if his contract does not allow him to get over immediately, or play a reserve role and develop properly if there is a season and he can get out of his European contract.

*EDIT* Kaman might also be a realistic possibility but might need a 3 team deal unless Bargnani becomes a 6th man in La-La Land.